Have you ever stopped to consider why you do the things you do in life? Or how the things you feel affect your outer appearance? Finding a closer connection to the spiritual may be the key thing you need to achieve a healthier and more productive lifestyle, and all it takes is a little faith and a little bit of work.

Feeling Worn Down

If you find yourself exhausted at the end of the day when you really shouldn’t be, perhaps it’s time to look at some of the underlying issues which may exist. What is the status of your health? Are you getting enough sleep? Is there something going on in your life?

Seeking answers from God is a good place to begin. Look inside yourself for these answers as you ask for spiritual guidance. Stress is just as much of a health issue as something more physical, and finding that connection can help guide you to the answers you need to find some relaxation.

Aches and Pains

There are numerous causes for aches and pains in your body, not the least of which is poor posture. We tend to find ourselves slouching or leaning over when times are hard. This causes undue strain on our joints and muscles, bringing about the kinds of pain we really don’t need in our lives.

This can be fixed fairly easily. Making a point to stand and sit up straight is important, as is working to get into a good mindset. Certain back braces can help with proper posture, as well. Looking toward the higher power can also gives us answers we may need to alleviate concerns we may feel, helping guide us back to the straight and narrow, quite literally when it comes to posture.

Stress

The phrase “money is the root of all evil” can be attributed, in my opinion, to the stress we feel when we don’t have enough of it. Bills need to be paid, families need to be fed and, frankly, sometimes a little fun needs to be had.

In times like these, it’s important to remember that God has a plan. Ask him for guidance and you may find the path you seek. Trust in yourself and trust that God will have a way to lead you to whatever you may need.

Wrapping Up

Many health issues can be boiled down to just a couple things, one of the most notable being mental health. By this, of course, I refer to issues of stress and worry, rather than psychological issues. By being introspective and looking toward a power higher than ourselves, we can begin to unravel the mysteries which sometimes surround the things which cause us the most concern.

Through communication with God, a proper diet, meditation, communication and exercise, we can bring ourselves to new heights, both improving our lives and the lives of those around us. This isn’t something to consider lightly. With every smile you are inclined to share, you make the world a bit brighter.

All Christians know the importance of a good prayer room. This is a sacred room, as it allows you to shut out the distractions of everyday life. You have the chance to look deep into your soul and talk with God. This prayer room must be tranquil and calming for you to be happy while inside it. It never hurts to put a little more effort into improving a room, especially if the payoff later is worth it. This article will go over a few tips about how you can make your prayer room the best that it can be.

Improve the Lighting

Having good lighting is good, so that the room does not appear to be too gloomy. If you want to study the pages of your bible in this room, you will need adequate lighting. LED lights are a good way to achieve this. You can get large LED light fixtures that are attached to the ceiling. You can decide on what type of light you would like, whether it be curved or straight. As well, LED lights come in different colours, if you wanted to add a different shade of light to your prayer room.

Add Personal Touches

One method that some people do is to print off photos of their friends and loved ones and keep them in their prayer room. You can look at these photos and remember to pray for them, and hope that their lives are going well. It also serves as a reminder that they may be going through some difficult times in their lives, and you could think of how you can help them. These photos could be tacked up on a wall, or even put in a photo album.

Add a Journal to Your Room

Having a journal in your prayer room is a good idea, because you have the freedom of writing down your uncensored thoughts. If you are praying, and you are struck by a sudden thought, you will be able to write it down immediately. This may be God’s way of giving you an idea He wants you to act on. This is a good way of keeping track of when God has responded to your prayers. You can write down exactly what it is that you are praying for, and check to see if any of them have come to pass later on.

Conclusion

Having a prayer room in your home is a good way of putting you closer to God. You can go inside this room and cut yourself off from everyone and everything around you. Even just spending ten minutes a day in this room can re-establish your relationship with God. Improving the lighting, adding photos of your loved ones, and placing a journal in the room are good ways to add value to the room. These things will help you as you strive to find peace for yourself and for all the good people around you.

While your actions certainly do make a difference in your overall happiness and spiritual health, we also must take the time to sit back and heed instruction. Time spent meditating allows you to listen to what God has to say to you, and it requires you to really listen and remove yourself from the many cares you experience during the course of any day.

Whether your meditation time consists of just a few minutes after you get the kids to bed or several hours in the morning as the sun rises, this time allows you to grow as a person, reflect on your life, plan for your future, and develop stronger character. There are three things you can do to ensure you’re making the most of this valuable investment of time.

1. Cooling Mattress Pads

One of the best places to be as we meditate is lying down in bed. This allows you to get into a comfortable position and more easily allow you to focus on the deep thinking you’re about to embark on. According to Learning Mind, when we meditate, our body temperatures are known to lower. This is also true as we drift off to sleep after a long day.

A great way to encourage relaxation in your meditate lying down in bed is to invest in a mattress pad with a cooling factor. These products begin cooling the body temperature more quickly, allowing you to more quickly transition into a meditative state. It can also significantly increase your comfort level, especially if it’s warm in the room, and comfort is a highly important factor in meditation.

2. Considering Your Diet

We don’t often associate what we had for breakfast or lunch when deciding how we can increase the quality of the little time we have to spend alone. However, the old adage “you are what you eat” holds a lot more truth than many give it credit for. As the Harvard Business Review points out, the foods we eat have a direct impact on overall productivity whether that be work you’re doing with your hands or your mind. Just a few types of foods and their impact on your meditation include:

Fried, oily, and spicy foods can make you fidgety and less able to focus.

Canned and non-vegetarian foods can cause you to drowsy.

Fresh foods help keep you feeling light, so try to opt for foods on the outermost areas of the grocery store and avoid the aisles as much as possible.

3. Consider Group Meditation

Meditation is typically done while alone, and this certainly is an effective way to get in better touch with both God and yourself. However, consider inviting like-minded individuals to join you on occasion. This allows for you to become more engaged in your own meditation when you’re able to share your personal experiences with others. Furthermore, with the motivation of others, you are more likely to stick with a regular meditation schedule.

Getting Closer With God

We are encouraged in the Bible and other types of religious texts to take the time to speak with God through prayer. However, what all too many of us fail to do regularly and thoroughly is to take the time to listen to how God’s trying to answer us. Through regular meditation, you can develop a stronger relationship with the higher power that has a plan for us all, and these three helpful tips can help you make the most of this precious time.

For years, some people have seen science and religion as enemies, battling over leadership in this culture. Others see them as separate facts of life that remain unrelated and atheists are saying that science is debunking religion and superstition of all forms. Even though none of those voices hint at the positive relationship between science and Christianity, there are several ways the relationship between the two can be viewed.

Are They Separate?

One of the only ways that you can ease the conflict between Christianity and science is to view them as two totally different things. The one way to do that is to think about science as the knowledge of the world and its behaviour and think about religion as morality, God, and the afterlife. If they are addressing different beliefs, then they cannot conflict. the reason there is such conflict is because there is a lack of understanding of the fundamental differences between the two.

Everything in the science and religion world is at peace until someone claims that the Bible answers a scientific question and science answers a question about God, the the conflict erupts again. This is why it is best to keep them separate.

Science and Christianity Enhancing Each Other

Most of the time we can classify a question as scientific or biblical, but there are also those few questions that are on the borderline. The categories of these questions include evolution, medical ethics, and climate change. According to Pope John Paul II, “Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish”. By guiding the practical application of scientific discoveries, science can be positively impacted by faith.

Working Together

Although some believe that Christianity and science should be separated, there are those, such as the evangelicals that believe they can work together. It is proven that 20 percent of the U.S. attends church along with 18 percent of scientists who also consider themselves very religious. A new study has found that 27 percent of Americans do believe that there is a conflict between the two, but sociologists believe that these results will help to change the idea that the two are at ideological odds. For science policymakers and educators, they should not have to approach religion with an attitude of combat rather than approach it with collaboration in mind.
For those who love Christianity and science, there is something called Christian Science. This is the feeling and understanding of God’s goodness. “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also”, these are what the teachings are based on, the word of Christ Jesus. Those who practice Christian science are allowed to make their own individual choices about what to think and what to do in each situation, including health care, relationships, employment, and other personal and global issues through prayer. This is a way to get closer to God and humanity without conflict.

According to the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution, everyone in the United States has the right to practice his or her own religion, or no religion at all. The first amendment was meant to keep the government out of religion and guarantee the separation of church and state. This is one of the main reasons why the United States has avoided a lot of religious conflicts that have been responsible for the fall of other nations. There is also the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. This clause gives you the right to worship or not as you choose. You cannot be penalized because of your religious beliefs by the government.

Teaching Religion in Public Schools

This seems to be a hot topic for debate. Half of the nation does not see a problem with incorporating religion with schooling while the other half does. Unfortunately, since public schools are run by the government, they must obey the First Amendment. The schools are allowed to teach about the influences of religion in history and such, but they cannot promote religious beliefs in any way. The only schools that are allowed to do so without criticism are private and parochial schools because they are not government run. Although, even though public schools frown upon religion, students who need to be excused from a school activity because of conflict with their religious beliefs, may do so.

Starting The Day with Prayer

This is another debate that is swirling around the internet, should a teacher be allowed to start the day with a prayer? No. Since 1992, when the Supreme Court decided that graduation prayers are unconstitutional in public schools, it no longer exists. If teachers started doing this, it would give non-believers or the kids of other faiths the feeling that their participation is required. The same goes for student-led prayer, it is unconstitutional. If a student wants hold a private alternative event that includes a prayer, such as a baccalaureate, they can do so but it has to remain off of school grounds.

Is It Okay to Pray in School, Ever?

So, the million-dollar question, is it ever okay to pray in school? Absolutely. Each individual student has the right to pray whenever they please, as long as it does not disrupt anyone else. They cannot try to force others to join in. If a student has been told that they cannot pray at all during school hours, they have the right to exercise their religion is being violated.

Celebrating Religious Holidays in Public Schools

We have all gone into a school and have seen decorations set up for Christmas, Easter, Hannukah and Thanksgiving, is this acceptable? It depends. Making stockings for Christmas, eggs for Easter and dreidels for Hannukah are okay because over a period of time, these have become secular customs. If a student wanted to put on a Nativity pageant, this would be unconstitutional because of its religious meaning.

In public schools, there are no bibles allowed, no praying unless it is to yourself or outside of school and there are no Nativity pageants. Do you think this is unconstitutional? Many people do because back in the day, there was prayer, bible verses and more. This is what religious freedom is all about. You are free to choose to worship or not.